Gov. Jared Polis: Colorado’s state income tax “should be zero”

Gov. Jared Polis said he supports reimagining Colorado’s state tax structure to eliminate income taxes, as nine other states have done.

“It’s obviously easier said than done, but in effect when you tax something you penalize it,” the Democrat said during an appearance Friday at the conservative Steamboat Institute’s Freedom Conference, according to video of his appearance.

Asked by an event moderator what the state’s income tax rate should be, Polis said, “It should be zero. We can find another way to generate the revenue that doesn’t discourage productivity and growth and you absolutely can, and we should.”

These remarks were met with cheers from the conservative crowd.

“There’s things you actually want to penalize in society, like pollution might be one of them,” Polis said. “I would argue that smoking might be one of them — cigarette taxes, sin taxes, if there’s an applicable cost to people.

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